Is There Enough Skin On The Back Of The Head To Build It Out By Cranioplasty?

Q: I have a problem with the whole upper back of my skull, it is quite flat. It is not hereditary because my other brothers and sisters have normal skulls. I wonder if my mother had me always lying on my back on a pillow during my infancy.  Thus far I have always been able to camouflage it by back-combing my hair and using spray to add volume but now, with age, it isn’t very easy anymore.  It is constantly on my mind and I was considering the purchase of a wig.  I will and never have gone with my head under water at a pool or ocean. Could enough material during a cranioplasty be added to make a difference given that there isn’t that much loose skin back there?available. Have you had much experience in that particular field?  From what I read on the internet, most women are rather more interested in a derriere augmentation. 

A: While the scalp does feel fairly adherent, it does move more freely than you would think once mobilized in the subgaleal plane. With wide undermining (the entire scalp can be easily undermined) and scoring of the galea, some laxity of it can be obtained. For the back of the head, you can probably build out the bone by cranioplasty but about 1 to 1.5cms at the center  (tapering to the sides of the skull) and still get good scalp coverage.  

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana